Maxine Singer

A distinguished biochemist, Maxine Singer received the National Medal of Science in 1992 and led the Carnegie Institution from 1988 to 2002. Her groundbreaking research on DNA has improved our understanding of the development and structure of such genetic diseases as hemophilia. Singer notes that such experimentation, for which she helped devise ethical guidelines, "bring[s] closer the day when the ability to manipulate genetic material can be used for improving the lives of all humans."

Jon Friedman's study for a portrait commissioned by the Carnegie Institution reflects Singer's wide-ranging interests, from DNA to astronomy. Her influential Genes and Genomes (1990, with Paul Berg) appears beside a model of the Carnegie's Magellan Telescope. Her family is pictured in the lower left, while Singer encourages two youngsters in the image directly below her book, illustratingher commitment to science education and public service.